Feed for wrapping machines



Julyv23, 1935. E. F. MERTls FEED FOR WRAPPING MACHINES Filed May 31, 1954 f L. d /4M am. M, Z m 2 l G l nu W, ,7a.

ATTORNEY Patented July 23, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE FEED FORv WRAPPING MACHINES Elmer F. Mertis, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to American Machine & Foundry Company, a corporation oi New Jersey Application May 31, 1934, Serial No. 728,409

'1 Claims.

of the machine to select which one of three kinds of packages to produce, viz. tight wrapped, moderately tight wrapped or loose wrapped. While the invention is illustrated in conjunction with bread wrapping machines, its usefulness is not limited thereto as it may be used with any type of wrapping machine.

In Patent No. 1,805,677, granted May 19,'1931, on the application of F. R. Schmitt, there is disclosed a device for producing \a loosely wrapped package, and the principle involved in that patent is embodied in the present invention with theaddition of means for controlling its operation so as to enable the attendant, by the simple manipulation of a slidable shaft, to instantly adjust the machine so as to produce the type of package desired.

In the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this specification' and in which like characters of reference indicate the same or like parts,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the device illustrating the invention, showing the same adjusted to produce a loose wrapped package;

Fig. 2 is a partial end elevation of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail cross section showing the arrangement of the gear train for changing into different conditions of wrapping; V

Fig. 4 is a sectional side elevation showing an article in two different stages during the wrapping operation.

In carrying the invention into effect there is provided article wrapping mechanism operating to partially enfold an article in a web of wrapping material, a pair of feed rollers coacting to engage thev web and exert a moderate resistance to its passage therebetween in order to produce an average wrapped package, and means operative to drive one of said rollers either toward the article being wrapped to feed an additional length of material, or away from said article to exert a drag on the Web so that a loose wrapped l or tight wrapped package will be produced redriven shaft to be in turn driven directly therefrom, one of the feed rollers being driven from the slidable shaft, whereby the feed rollers will exert a drag on the web when the shafts are coupled and thus produce a tight wrapped package, a gear fast to the driven shaft, a pin in the slidable shaft, va gear loose on the slidable shaft and constantly driven from the gear on the driven shaft and provided with a notch adapted to receive the pin when the slidable shaft is drawn out of coupling engagement with the driven shaft in order to feed the additional length 0f web for loose wrapping of the article. These various means and parts may be widely varied in construction within the scope of the claims for the particular device selected to illustrate the invention is but one of many possible concrete embodiments of the same. The invention, therefore, is not to be restricted to the specic construction shown and described.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawing the endless pusher chain I I of the wrapping machine runs over a sprocket I2 fast to the shaft I3 journaled in a bearing at one end of the gear housing I4. The latter is suspended from the main frame WM of the machine, which is of the type disclosed in the patent to H. Y. Armstrong, No, 1,626,379, granted April 26, 1927. lIn the bearing at the other end of gear housing I4 is a shaft I5 on the outer end of whichvis mounted a sprocket I6 which through chain I1 drives sprocket I8 on the feed roller I9.

Bevel gear 20 attached to the inner end of shaft I3 drives a bevel gear 2| which vis free to rotate on stud 2Ia. Gear 2| meshes with a bevel gear 22 loose on shaft I5 slidably mounted in gear housing I4. When the gear train is in the neutral position as shown in Fig. 3, the gear 22 rotates idly on shaft I5, but if shaft I5 is pushed in so that its tongue ISU) engages slot 13a in shaft I3 the rotation of sprocket-I2- will be transmitted directly through shafts I3 and I5 to sprocket I6 thereby driving the feed roller I9 in a direction to effect tight wrapping of the loaf, as will be presently described. If shaft I5 is pulled out so that pin l5b thereof engages notch 22a in gear 22, the rotation of` sprocket I2 will be transmitted through shaft I3, gears 2li, 2| and 22 and shaft I5 to drive the sprocket I6 in the opposite direction to effect loose wrapping of the loaf, as will be presently described. The hub of sprocket I6 is held against the gear housing I4 by means of a clip collar IliaI thereon engaging the clip ring Ila. fastened to the gear housing and the sprock'et I6 is driven from the shaft I5 by means of a cross pin I5c engaging notches I6d in the hub of the sprocket I6. The shaft I5 is locked against axial movement by a spring latch consisting of a ball I 6b disposed in a recess in the hub of sprocket I6 and pressed by a coil spring I6c into one of three depressions I5d formed in shaft I5 corresponding to the different positions of shaft I5, for tight, loose, or moderately tight wrapping.

Roller I9 is journaled in bearings 23a of oscillating frame 23 which is fulcrumed on rod 24 and periodically actuated by connecting rod 25 operated from a cam or by other suitable means (not shown) to swing the feed roller I9 in and out of position to coact the feed roller 26 on swinging lifter table 21, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, while the lifter table is in a raised position.

Referring now to Fig. l, only, of the drawing, an articleA in the present case a loaf of bread, is shown in a position corresponding to that shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing of -the above mentioned Armstrong patent, the loaf being shown to be partially enfolded in a wrapper. It may be noted that the loaf is partially enwrapped by pushing it from the infeed runway into the end portion of a web of wrapping material and ontothe lifter table while the latter is in its lower posit-ion, the movement of the loaf serving to fold the web about three sides thereof and pull 01T the web from the roll of wrapping material (not shown). Since the web is pulled against the resistance of the roll of wrapping material and the web guiding means (not shown), it is drawn quite tightly about the loaf. The web is pressed against the top of the loaf by a spring finger 21a supported on an upstanding rod of the lifter table 21. As the lifter table swings to its upper position, it pulls off more wrapping material from the roll, leaving the web W in the dotted position shown in Fig. 1. Up to this time the wrapping mechanism has pulled off a length of material just sufcient to wrap the loaf to produce a moderately tight wrapped or average wrapped package if the slidable shaft I5 is left in the neutral position.

When the lifter table is swung into the raised position shown in Fig. 1 the feed roller I9 pinches the wrapping material W against feed roller 26, and if .the shaft I5 has been pulled out the roller I9 will rotate anti-clockwise as indicated by the arrow and thus coact with the roller 26 to feed an additional length of wrapping material for loose .wrapping of the article. After a sufficient length of web has been fed by the rollers I9 and 26 the loaf is advanced from the lifter table 21 onto the sealing table 28 by means of a pusher on the traveling chain Il. During this advance the web is cut by a knife 29 carried by blocks 30 pivoted on frame 23 and actuated by a cam rod 3| from a. cam (not shown) to sever the web on the ledger plate 32, and the frame 23 is then retracted with the roller I9. As an article is advanced over the sealing table this excess material is wiped under its bottom as roller I9 has been swung away, from the roller 26; accordingly, no tension is applied to the wrapper during the nal stages of the operation of enfolding the loaf in the wrapper, and a loose wrapped package will result after the loosely enwrappeddoaf is subjected to the usual end folding and sealing operations.

If instead of pulling out shaft I5, it is pushed in so as to be coupled directly with shaft I3 the drive of sprocket I6 will be reversed and, as a result, roller I9 will rotate in the opposite direction from the case `just described, and the wrapping material W Will be subjected to the drag resulting from being pinched between the roller I9 and the roller 26 on the lifter table 21 as indicated (by dotted lines) in Figs. 1 and 4, and the nal result would be a tight wrapped package.

Should the shaft I5 be left ina neutral position, as shown in Fig. 3, no power would be transmitted to sprocket I6 and as the roller I9 would not be rotated in either direction, the wrapping material would pass, with only moderate resistance, between rollers I9 and 26 and the result would be a moderately tight wrapped or average wrapped package.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with article wrapping mechanism operating to partially enfold an article in the leading end of a web of wrapping material, of a pair of feed rollers coacting to engage the web and exert a moderate resistance to its passage therebetween in order to produce an average wrapped package, and means operative to drive one of .said rollers either toward the article being wrapped to feed an additional length of wrapping material, or away from said article to exert a drag on the web, whereby a loose wrapped or tight wrapped package will be produced respectively. A

2. The combination with article wrapping mechanism operating to partially enfold an article in the leading end of a web of wrapping material, of a pair of feed rollers coacting to engage the web and exert a moderate resistance to its passage therebetween in order to produce an average wrapped package, and means operative to drive one of said rollers either toward the article being wrapped to feed an additional length of wrapping material, or away from said article to exert a drag on the web, whereby a loose Wrapped or tight wrapped package will be produced respectively, and an oscillatory frame carrying one of said rollers and periodically operating to swing the same into position to coact with the other feed roller to exert a moderate resistance to the passage of the web therebetween 3. The combination with article wrapping mechanism operating to partially enfold an article in the leading end of a web of wrapping material, of a pair of feed rollers coacting to engage the web and exert a moderate resistance to its passage therebetween in order to produce an average wrapped package, and means operative to drive one of said rollers either toward the article being wrapped to feed an additional length of wrapping material, or away from said article to exert a drag on the web, whereby a loose wrapped or tight wrapped package will be produced respectively, an oscillatory frame carrying one of said rollers and periodically operating to swing the same into position to coact with the other feed roller to exert a moderate resistance to the passage of the web therebetween, and a knife mounted on said frame for severing the web.

4. The combination with article wrapping mechanism operating to partially enfold an article in the leading end of a web of wrapping material, of a pair of feed rollers coacting to engage the web and exert a moderate resistance to its passage therebetween in order to produce an average wrapped package, and means operative to drive one of said rollers either toward the article being wrapped to feed an additional length of Wr'apping'material, or away from said article to exert a drag on the web, whereby a loose Wrapped or tight wrapped package will be produced respectively, said means including a driven shaft, a slidable shaft movable into engagement with said driven shaft to be in turn driven directly therefrom, one of said feed rollers being driven from said slidable shaft, whereby the feed rollers will exert a drag on the web when said shafts are coupled and thus produce a tight Wrapped package, a gear fast to said driven shaft, a pin in said slidable shaft, a gear loose on said slidable shaft and constantly driven from the gear on the driven shaft and provided with a notch adapted to receive said pin when the slidable shaft is drawn out of coupling engagement with said driven shaft in order to cause the feed rollers to feed the additional length of web for loose wrapping of the article, said slidable shaft being movable into a neutral position in which it is uncoupled from the driven shaft and its pin is clear of said notch.

5. The combination with a pair of web feeding f rollers, of a driven shaft, a, slidable shaft movable into engagement with said driven shaft to 4be in turn driven directly therefrom, one of said rollers being driven from said slidable shaft, whereby said rollers will exert a drag on the web when said shafts are coupled, a gear fast tosaid driven shaft, a pin xed in said slidable shaft, a gear loosely mounted on said slidable shaft and constantly driven from the gear on the driven shaft and provided with a notch adapted to receive said pin when the slidable shaft is drawn out of coupling enagagement with said driven shaft to cause said rollers to feed the web, said slidable shaft being movable into a nuetral position in which it is uncoupled from the driven shaft and its pin is clear of said notch.

6. The combination with a. pair of web feeding rollers, of a driven shaft, a slidable shaft movable into engagement with said driven shaft to be in turn driven directly therefrom, one of said rollers being driven from said slidable shaft, whereby said rollers will exert a drag on the web when said shafts are coupled, a gear fast to said driven shaft, a pin fixed in said slidable shaft, a gear loosely mounted on said slidable shaft and constantly driven from the gear on the driven shaft and provided with a notch adapted to receive said pin when the slidable shaft is drawn out of coupling engagement with said driven shaft to cause said rollers to feed the web, said slidable shaft being movable into a neutral position in which it is uncoupled from the driven shaft and its pin is clear of said notch, and an oscillatory frame carrying one of said feed rollers and periodically operating to swing the same into position to coact with the other feed roller to feed the web.

'7. The combination with article wrapping mechanism operating to partially enfold an article in wrapping material, of a pair of feed rollers coacting to engage the web and exert a moder ate resistance to its passage therebetween in order to produce an average wrapped package, and means operative to drive one of said rollers, and a manually operable control mechanism coacting with said means to vary the direction of rotation of the driven roller.

ELMER F. MERTIS. 

